Magnetic ski binding or harness



April 19, 1966 D. s CHISHOLM MAGNETIC SKI BINDING OR HARNESS Filed Jan.'7, 1964 INVENTOR. Douy/as 5 C/z/ls/yo/m BY if he should fall forward.

United States Patent 3,246,907 MAGNETIC SKI BINDING 0R HARNESS DouglasS. Chisholm, 340i) Applewood, Midland, Mich. Filed Jan. 7, 1964, Ser.No. 336,225 3 Claims. (Cl. 280-4135) This invention relates to animproved ski binding or harness and it more particularly relates to animproved magnetic ski binding.

In skiing many types of harnesses and bindings are used to secure theboot or boots to the skis. Some of the harnesses are adapted to permit aheel to be raised while with others the boot is more or less rigidlysecured to the ski. Various types of mechanical harnesses of the lattertype have been provided which vary from a rigid unyielding attachment ofthe boot to the ski, to harnesses which rigidly secure the boot to theski until a more or less predetermined force has been applied theretoand the boot is released from the ski. As a safety measure such areliable quick breakaway harness is extremely desirable in order toprevent injury to the skier Oftentimes with harnesses that fail torelease, a broken ankle or leg is the unhappy result. Many of themechanical break-away harnesses or bindings do not offer the skier fullassurance of .re-

lease particularly when ice or snow fouls the mechanism, though thebinding may be released under certain conditions, under a pressure orforce that is substantially greater than is obtained under idealconditions. Oftentimes, under undesirable conditions, such as, when askier is falling or loses control on a slope it is desirable that hedisengage himself from the skis and fall in a controlled manner withouthaving the skis secured to his feet. This will permit the skis to beabandoned cleanly and not otter a hazard to the falling skier.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved ski harness.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ski harness by whicha skier may readily disengage himself from his skis.

A further objoect of this invention is to provide a ski harness which issimple and rugged in construction, cilicient and reliable in operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved skiharness whose operation is not readily affected by ice and snow.

These features and other benefits in accordance with the presentinvention are achieved by a device for securing skis to boots comprisinga shoe member, and a ski member, a variable strength permanent magnet onone of the members and a coooperating magnetic armature on the other ofthe members, said members being so constructed and arranged as toprevent the tWo members from sliding in relationship to each other whenin cooperative engagement. The magnetic attraction between the permanentmagnet and the armature serves to retain the shoe member in associationwith the ski member and in cooperative combination with the variablestrength permanent magnet is a means to vary the strength of the magnet.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will becomemore apparent from the following specification when taken in conjunctionwith the drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a representation of a ski boot in which a portion of a skibroadly illustrates the cooperation between the shoe member, the skimember and the means to vary the strength of the magnet.

FIGURE 2 depicts one embodiment of the invention and illustrates anarrangement of variable permanent magnets and means to vary the strengththereof.

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FIGURE 3 is an alternate arrangement of a variable magnet and associatedcontrol.

FIGURE 4 is a schematic representation of a skier utilizing the harnessand associated control circuitry of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a detailed illustration of a control switch utilized by theskier of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a representation of a ski pole particularly adapted for usewith the harness of the invention.

In FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a representation of a ski harness ofthe present invention generally designated by the reference numeral 10.The harness 10 comprises a ski member 12 having in cooperativecombination a boot member 13. The ski member 12 is aifixed to a ski 15.The ski member 12 has boot retainers 16. The ski member 12 is secured toa boot 17, in a location generally parallel to and below the sole 18 ofthe boot 17. The ski member 12; is comprised of a plurality of variablestrength permanent magnet members 20 disposed largely within aprotective housing 22, a magnetic strength controlling device 24 ispositioned adjacent the housing 22 and is in cooperative conjunctionwith the variable strength magnet members 20, and the actuating means 25is led to a location remote from the ski and to one or more controlpoints not illustrated in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 2 there is illustrated a schematic arrangement of variablestrength permanent magnets for use within the variable strengthpermanent element or member of the present invention. The assembly isdesignated by the reference numeral St). The assembly 30 comprises aplurality of variable strength permanent magnets 31, 32 and 33. Themagnets 31, 32 and 33 are positioned in fixed relationship to each otherwithin a non-magnetic housing 35. The variable strength magnets 31, 32and 33 comprise channel members 37 which are of a low energy magneticmaterial such as mild steel. Each of the channels 37 has poles 38 and39. The channel members 3'7 define between their poles 38 and 39 achannel or space 41. A slug or magnet 43 is disposed within the channel41 in such a manner that it is a sliding fit. The slugs 43 of thevariable strength magnets 31, 32, and 33 are joined to the adjacentslugs by means of the push rods 45 and 46. The slug 43 of the magnet 33has afiixed thereto a position rod 47 which is in operativecommunication with a motion producing device 49. The motion producingdevice 49 has in operative association therewith control means 51.Magnets such as the magnets 31, 32 and 33 are well known in the art andseveral embodiments thereof are described in United States LettersPatent 3,079,535. A generally similar type of magnet is described inUnited States Letters Patent 3,079,191.

In operation of the embodiment of the invention generally depicted inFIGURES l and 2, an armature member is aifixed to the sole of the boot,such as the boot 17. The boot is then positioned upon the magnet memberas illustrated, and afiixed to the ski 15 by activating the controldevice or linear actuator, or the slugs within the variable strengthmagnet are moved into the desired position to maintain the boot againstit, as shown in the arrangement of FIGURE 2 wherein the slug ispositioned wholly within the channel. The boot is prevented from slidingby means of the retainers 16. Thus by increasing or decreasing thestrength of the magnets the boot may be firmly drawn against the ski andmaintained in that position, or released therefrom at the wearers will.

In FIGURE 3 there is illustrated an alternate magnet assembly generallydesignated by the reference numeral 60. The assembly 60 comprises aretaining means 61 having disposed therein a plurality of variablestrength magnets 63. The magnets 63 comprise a first member a5 and asecond member 66. The first member 65 and second member 66 are made of amaterial having a high coercivity. At the terminal ends of members 65and 66 are disposed armatures 68 and 69. The armatures 68 and 69 are ofa soft material, that is one having a relatively low coercivity. On themembers 65 is disposed a coil or winding 70, the coil 70 forming acontinuous elec trical circuit with the leads 72 and 73 which in turnlead to the reversing switch 74, beneficial because of thecharacteristics of these magnets. The switch may be of the double-poledouble-throw instantaneous variety, that is to make contact the switchmust have an external force applied to it to make contact and the forcemaintained to maintain contact. Magnets such as the magnets 63 are wellknown in the art and are described in United States Letters Patent3,089,064. The magnet arrangement of FIGURE 3 beneficially is employedin applications where mechanical motion within the housing is undesiredwhere full electrical control of the ski harness is desired.

Beneficially the embodiment of FIGURE 3 generally is the most convenientto fabricate and provides the highest degree of reliability in thefunction of the variable magnet assembly, in that, a relatively smallamount of power is required to turn the magnet on or off. A pulse orcurrent in the proper direction through the coils 70 serves to turn themagnet on or off and it will remain in that condition until a pulse ofcurrent is sent through in the opposite direction. In locations where areliable supply of electrical energy is available, that is, there is nodanger of a lack of a current source, this embodiment is mostconvenient. The embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2 has the significantadvantage of manual operability. A skier is not always near a suitablesource of power if his portable power supply fails. In emergency theslugs may be positioned by hand and the boots released from the skis.

In FIGURE 4 there is schematically illustrated an advantageousembodiment of the invention being utilized by a skier designated by thereference numeral 80. The skier 80 has a pair of skis 81, and each ofthe skis 81 has a variable strength magnet assembly 83 affixed thereto.Each of the assemblies 83 is connected to an electrical control harness84 which in turn is connected to an electrical power supply 86. Thepower supply 86 provides on demand a current to the control harnesssufiicient to deactivate the variable strength magnet assembly 83 andcauses release of the ski boot 88. The power supply 86 is controlled bymeans of a gravity operated switch 89 and a manual switch 90. Theswitches 89 and 90 may be either in series or parallel depending on thefunction desired by the individual skier.

An embodiment of a suitable gravity operated switch is illustrated inFIGURE designated by the reference numeral 95. The switch 95 comprises ahousing 96, the housing 96 being constructed from an electricallynonconductive material and defining a surface 97 therein. On the innersurface 97 are provided a pair of spaced electrically conductive bands98 and 99 extended preferably about the cavity. The housing 96 defines avariable volume side arm 101 within which is disposed a conductiveliquid 103, such as, mercury. The conductive bands 98 and 99 areconnected to contact a pair of leads 105 and 106 which control a powersupply 86.

In FIGURE 6 there is illustrated a ski pole particularly designated bythe reference numeral 110 particularly adapted and utilized in thearrangement illustrated in FIG. 4. The ski pole 110 comprises a hollowshaft 112. A handle portion 113 has a manual operated switch 115disposed therein. Disposed within the hollow shaft 112 is a source ofelectric power 116. Beneficially the power source is comprised of aplurality of batteries 116 wherein the energy from the batteries iscontrolled by the switch 115 and this energy is transmitted to thevariable strength magnets either directly or indirectly via a controlmechanism and the electrical leads 118.

Ski harnesses constructed in accordance with the present invention arefound to be reliable, readily operated and provide a ready means forengaging or disengaging ski boots from skis.

Although the present invention has been described utilizing the variablestrength magnet affixed to the ski it is readily understood a variablestrength magnet is easily affixed to the boot and the armature afiixedto the ski. Such an arrangement generally is dependent on the desires ofthe skier using the equipment.

The armature member may be a solid plate such as a plate of mild steelor alternately it may comprise a plurality of magnetically insulatedmembers in a rigid or flexible matrix so constructed or arranged thateach of the individual magnet armature pieces engage both pole faces ofthe variable strength magnets and the armature pieces have a dimensionwhich corresponds to the overall dimension of the pole-pieces, the polepieces being disposed in plurality of generally parallel planes, thuspermitting the armature member to interlock with the variable strengthmagnet member in such a manner that sliding of one member on the otheris prevented.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the present inventionis capable of being embodied with various alterations and modificationswhich may differ particularly from those that have been described in thepre-' ceding specification and description. For this reason, it is to befully understood that all of the foregoing is intended to be merelyillustrative and is not to be construed or interpreted as beingrestrictive or otherwise limiting of the present invention, excepting asit is set forth and defined in the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for securing skis to boots comprising a shoe member and aski member, a variable strength permanent magnet on one of the membersand a cooperating magnetic armature on the other of the members, themembers being so constructed and arranged as to prevent the two membersfrom sliding in relationship to each other when in cooperativeengagement, a means to vary the strength of the magnet in cooperativecombination with the variable strength permanent magnet, an electricalpower source operatively, connected by electrical leads to the means tovary the strength of the magnet and to an electrical switch, to therebyselectively retain the shoe member in association with the ski memberand the electrical leads and switch being adapted to be worn upon askier.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the means to vary the strength of thevariable strength permanent magnet is in cooperative association with'agravity operated electrical switch.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the variable strength permanentmagnet is affixed to the ski.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN HERSH,Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR SECURING SKIS TO BOOTS COMPRISING A SHOE MEMBER AND ASKI MEMBER, A VARIABLE STRENGTH PERMANENT MAGNET ON ONE OF THE MEMBERSAND A COOPERATING MAGNETIC ARMATURE ON THE OTHER OF THE MEMBERS, THEMEMBERS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO PREVENT THE TWO MEMBERSFROM SLIDING IN RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER WHEN IN COOPERATIVEENGAGEMENT, A MEANS TO VARY THE STRENGTH OF THE MAGNET IN COOPERATIVECOMBINATION WITH THE VARIABLE STRENGTH PERMANENT MAGNET, AN ELECTRICALPOWER SOURCE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BY ELECTRICAL LEADS TO THE MEANS TOVARY THE STRENGTH OF THE MAGNET AND TO AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH, TO THEREBYSELECTIVELY RETAIN THE SHOE MEMBER IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SKI MEMBERAND THE ELECTRICAL LEADS AND SWITCH BEING ADAPTED TO BE WORN UPON ASKIER.